Fluid | Fixed

Divination Index S-Z

This index is to be considered as a rough-guide only, and it is no way definitive. The asterisks point to incomplete or suspect information needing further investigation. Spelling variations are listed with the term and related examples with the definition.

Majority of the terms are compound words with the suffix —(o)mancy from the Greek —manteia meaning prophecy which in turn comes from —mantis meaning prophet.
scapulomancy
scapulamancy
scapulimancy
This is a particular form pyroscopy in which the shoulder blades of burned sacrifices are inspected and interpreted. Usually the shoulder blade is that of animal and the bone's cracks, produced by the fire, contain the omens.
scarpomancy*
In this divination, a person's character is discovered from the study of their shoes. The diviner looks at the shoes' characteristics from its quality to the wear on its soles.[1]
scatoscopy
Scatoscopy is divination by examining excrement; uses include disease diagnosis and animal identification.
schematomancy*
In this Arab divination, a person's appearance and form show the individual's history and likely future
sciomancy
Divination by communicating with shades or deceased spirits; this practice can also include someone's shadow. In folklore, there is a direct connection between a person's soul and their shadow, making the shadow just as valuable and vulnerable. As the fictional character, Peter Pan found out when he lost his shadow by closing a window on it. However in divination, it involves the seer invoking the shade or deceased spirit to be questioned. -necromancy
scyphomancy
This divination uses drinking cups typically for libation and scrying. In ancient times, Egyptians used drinking cups to give libations to the gods in exchange for favors, usually answers to questions. The querent would fill the cup to the brim with barely beer spiced with herbs. Barley beer was extremely important to the Egyptians and they used this drink regularly in their rituals. The person then poured the libation from the cup offering to the gods and in its place, inside the newly emptied cup, was the answer to the question. Because of the spiced herbs in the beer there may have been sediment in the cup to aid in interpreting the answer, not unlike tealeaf reading.
scrying
A term for the divinatory method whereby the individual gazes at an object or substance with a reflective or inducive surface like crystals, mirrors, water, ink, even flames. By focusing on the object, the seer reveals the answers and fortunes.
selenomancy
Selenomancy is divination by studying the phases and appearances of the moon. Some of these earlier observations still exist in moon folklore. For instance, "a ring around the sun or moon, means rain or snow coming soon" is one such divinatory myth. The ring that you see is the light passing through the ice crystals contained within the thin cirrus clouds. It is the refraction that causes light to shine in a halo. Usually, cirrus clouds are the first layer of clouds that precedes storm and heavy precipitation.
sideromancy
TThere are two forecasting materials in sideromancy. The first is divination by hot metal; the diviner drops an odd number of straws onto a red-hot metal surface, normally iron. As the straw burns, it shapes, sparks and actions decide the outcome. The second is divination by stars or astronomy to foretell the future. But, it is more than just astrology and horoscopy the practice includes genethliacs as well.
skatharomancy
This divination is by insects. One Polynesian method uses the tracks of a beetle crawling over the grave of a murder victim to find the killer's identity.[2] Another popular insect for skathoromancy is the ladybug. There are folklore myths in almost every culture about this insect. In Norway, if a man and a woman see the same ladybug at the same time, there will be romance between them. While the Belgians believe that if a ladybug lands on a young woman's hand, within a year she would be married.
sortilege
A divination format that uses drawing or casting of lots. Sortilege is the oldest and the most prevalent method within the art of divination. The idea is the randomness of the event is influenced by, or is within the scope your fate or destiny. A non-divinatory use of sortilege is sortition, where a decision over selection is made by allotment or lottery and is unbiased and random. A modern use of sortition is selecting juries or when we "draw the short straw" for a task.
spasmatomancy*
This divination uses a person's bodily twitching to predict futures, often about health.
spell
A spell is specific word, incantation, or form of words containing the power or ability to carry out the practitioner's intent.
splanchnomancy
The entrails of sacrificial victims are examined for divination. -anthropomancy
spatalamancy
spatalomancy
spatilomancy
Spatalamancy uses skins, bones, and excrement in its divination. At first glance this may seem unpleasant but in pastimes excrement meant anything "that which grows out". So, excrement meant various substances like hair, nail, feathers, and animal horns, unlike today, where it has the one meaning of fecal matter.
spatulamancy
spatulomancy
spealomancy
Spatulamancy is divination using the shoulder blade of an animal that has been heated until cracked or burned. -scapulimancy, armomancy
spodomancy
Divination by ashes obtained from ritual or sacrificial fires. In spodomancy, the emphasis is on getting information from the patterns contained with the ashes.-pyroscopy, tephramancy
stareomancy*
Divination by interpreting the elements, presumably earth, air, fire, water.
stichomancy
stoichomancy
This is divination by lines or sentences of text. Normally these are in books but other alternatives include letters, scrolls, graffiti, ads and signs. -bibliomancy rhapsodmancy
stolisomancy
In this method, omens are determined by the person's manner of dress. For instance, it is lucky when you unintentionally put on an article of clothing inside out; but if you correct it before the time you would usually remove it, the luck is lost. However, wearing an item backwards is unlucky and a bad omen. According to history, just before the Battle of Hastings, William of Normandy's attendants put his mail hauberk on backwards. When the attendants pointed out their mistake, William turned it around (both shirt and the omen) by saying laughingly "My Dukedom shall be turned into a kingdom." It did.
sycomancy
This is a form of botanomancy where messages are written on leaves. In the West Indies, there is one method where you scratch the name of the person you love onto the leaf from the "loveleaf plant"; its scientific name is kalanchoe pinnata or bryophyllum pinnatum. The loveleaf has air roots that sprout from its sides. If the inscribed leaf makes roots so shall your relationship, and if it doesn't it will wither away. In another method, messages are written on plant leaves and their drying time watched; the slower leaves dry out the better the omen. A modern interpretation of this method uses small sheets of paper written with answers. They are then rolled up and placed in a container above a source of steam like a boiling pot; the first one to open is the answer. Of course, this steam method works well on opening envelopes too.
tarot
The tarot is a seventy-eight card deck comprised of twenty-two Arcana or Trumps, and fifty-six Minor Arcana or Suit cards. Whatever its original purpose today the deck has many roles: meditation, psychic stimulation, divination, gaming and as a psychological tool. A simple tarot divination involves the querent shuffling and cutting the deck, whereby the 'reader' takes the cards and lays them out in a particular spread pattern. The tarotist then develops a reading or prediction based on the card's information and their placement within the spread. For a complex reading other methods like astrology and numerology are incorporated.
tasseography
tasseomancy
Tasseomancy is divination by tealeaves and sometimes, coffee grounds. Unstrained tea is poured into a cup and then consumed by the inquirer. The dreg patterns left behind inside the cup are read. Alternatively, you can place a saucer over the cup and flip them upside down transferring the dregs onto saucer and read them from the saucer. Because of its flat surface this allows the inquirer to see the pattern as the 'reading' progresses. If using this method there needs to be some moisture left in the cup. In both cases, the sediment shapes are interpreted as symbolic images. Time placement of the symbols is relative to the cups or saucers circular shape. Starting at the center or distant past, the tasseomists works outwards to the rim or present time. If the shapes are closer to the cups handle the sooner the prophecy fulfillment. -ceroscopy
tephromancy
tephramancy
Divination by ashes left from a ritual or sacrificial fire. Considered to be the same as spodomancy, although some older sources mention "traced ashes" when referring to tephramancy.[3] This distinction suggests the ashes have been altered in some manner, as opposed to the natural state with spodomancy. In one approach, a question is written either in or by the ashes on a flat surface like an altar. The traced ashes remain open to the elements overnight and the following the morning their changes in condition are interpreted. If an immediate forecast is needed, then the diviner can throw the ritual ashes into the air.
theomancy
Divination by oracles revealed through either inspiration, revelation or by command. In certain cultures, the names of gods, angels and demons are secret and sacred, and those having this knowledge can command them to reveal the future. Sometimes, theomancy is called a pretense divination, but this is within a Christian context.
theriomancy*
A form of divination based on observation of the movements of wild animals. -zoomancy
topomancy*
Divination by the shape of the landscape's terrain and considered to be the predecessor of modern topography.
transataumancy*
This divination is seeing or hearing something by chance or accident. In ancient times, mistakes and coincidences were often omens, much like today. Of course they're those, like the Jungians, who don't believe in coincidences. To them, such events are not omens but insights. -cledonomancy
Tring-ba
Tring-ba is Tibetan prayer beads similar to a rosary. The divining method uses sortilege. First you ask your question while holding a rosary consisting of 108 beads. Without looking, randomly select a bead in each hand, making sure to leave enough beads between them. Like an abacus on string, count and move 4 beads with each corresponding hand to the left and to the right, until either 1,2,3, or 4 beads remain in the center. Record the number and repeated the procedure until you have three numbers. These three numbers are interpreted accordingly. One is good luck; two is bad luck; three is whatever the current situation is, it will happen rapidly; and finally four, good luck but with some problems.[4] -Mala
trochomancy*
trochomancy
Divination by wheel tracks, these would have been chariot or wagon wheels in ancient times. A modern interpretation of this practice is in the area of forensics covering auto accidents. However, its role is not to predict the future but to reconstruct the past.
tyromancy*
tiromancy
Tiromancy is divination by cheese.
urim v'tumim*
Urim and Thumum
Reading of oracles from the twelve sacred stones that were attached to the breastplate of the high priest in ancient Judaism. (Exodus 28:30)
uromancy*
urinomancy
urimancy
This divination interprets the characteristics of urine for medical prognosis. Without modern chemical analyzers, early uromancers relied on the urine's color, odor, viscosity and taste to make his "medical conjectures".
xenomancy
Divination based on the first stranger that appears.[5]
xylomancy*
Divination from pieces of wood, either in a natural circumstance like fallen twigs, or contrived as for a fireplace.
zodiac
A divinatory method where the circular path of the sun, passes through twelve of eight-eight heavenly star groupings called constellations. Many divinations use these twelve constellations, most notably horoscopes and astrology. Two popular zodiac systems are the Western and Chinese. The Western uses pictographs consisting of animals, humans, and objects, and the Chinese zodiac uses only animals.
zoomancy
Divination by observing animals and their behavior under particular circumstances, the animals can be real or mythical beasts. -theriomancy

Notes

[1]The complete illustrated book of divination and prophecy -Walter Brown Gibson, Litzka R. Gibson, p. 324
[2] Dreaming the Future -Clifford A. Pickover, p.86
[3] Dictionary of Early English -edited Joseph T.Shipley; tephramancy.
[4] Dreaming the Future -Clifford A. Pickover, p.179
[5] Dictionary of Early English -edited Joseph T.Shipley; xenomancy

Who are you? 101 Ways of seeing Yourself -Malcolm Godwin
An Encyclopedia of Occultism Volumes I & II -edited by Melton J Gorden
The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft -Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Encyclopedia Britannica
A Wicked Pack of Cards -R. Decker, T. Depaulish and M. Dummett
Runelore: A handbook of Esoteric Runology -Edred Thorsson
Biblioteca Arcana
The Mystica Online Encyclopedia - Alan G. Hefner